Crane hook



Oct. 16, 1923.

W. R. BLOSS CRANE HOOK Filed April 10 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 16, 1923. I I 1,471,094

w. R. BLoss CRANE HOOK Filed April 10, 1922 z sheets -sheet 2 Q WIRE/0.55,

INVENTOR Patented Och 16, 1923.

i UmT -o; STATES WALTER n. BLOSS, or MUSCLE sHoALs,

CRANE HOOK.

Application filed April 10, 1922. Serial no. 551,698. I

7 To acZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALTE-R. R. Bnoss, a

citizen of the United. States, residing at Muscle Shoals, in the county of Colbert and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crane Hooks, of which the following is aspecification.

. This invention relates to hoisting machinery, particularly to crane hooks, and has for its object the provision of a novel crane hook which is so constructed that it will automatically grip the load to be carried and, which is provided with releasing means which may be operated from a remote point as for instance by an operator within the control tower.

An important objectris the provision of a device of this character equipped with spring means for effecting-the gripping action and.

provided with electromagnetically operated releasing means to efi'ect disengagement of the; hook from the load, the structure thus operating efficiently. without it being necessary for any one to perform the'hazardous operation of engaging thehook with, the load-"or performing other incidental work around ladles containing molten metal or any fixed body'fcarried, or receptacle holding stockpor material for storage,heating or cooling, the device being also capable of advantageous use in certain branches of general crane work. E An additional object is the provision of a device of'this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly efficient and durable -in;use and provement in the art. 7 a

With the above andother objects and advantagesin'view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and'illu sr trated in the accompanying drawings, 1n whichn" Figure l isa side elevation of my device,

a general imdetail'perspective' view of the" perspective .view of one :of.

a or at any other point.

Referring more particularly to the draw lngs the numerallO designates the maincasting or supporting frame is formed wlth three equidistant arms 11 bifurcated as shown at 12 and provided with transverse holesil3. Formed at the top of this body is a stem l icarrying a head 15 swivelly received within a bearing 16 which might be formed on the cable wheel housing 17 of the. hoisting device or upon some other equivalent element. Formedon the underside of the body is a depending-stem 18 terminating in a conical portion 19 having a tapered socket QO-leading into a centering hole20 i i Pivoted bybolts 21 withinthe bifurcations 12 of the arms ll, are depending. jaws orhooks22iwhich havetheirlower ends in clined at their inneredges as shown at 23 and formed with shoulders 24 which engage the lower edge of theconical member 19.3 The lower extremities of the jaws are formed with inwardly directed hooks 25 adapted to engage with a circumferential shoulder 26 formed: ona conical} head 27 carried'by. a shank 28 which issecured t0 the load by any means. Thehead 27 terminates in a pin27 adapted to enter the hole 20% In case of a ladle for moultenmetal. the shank 28 will propably be formed thereon at some convenient point. ,In any event'the mounting of theshank 28 carrying the head 27 isim material. Intermediate their ends thejaws are formed. at their! outer edges with 1 pole pieces or armatures 29 The jaws are normally urged into operative position, that is against the conical member 19 by neans of leaf;.s pringsj3O which are suitably secured to the body 10 and which engage the jaws.

eThe above mentionedparts are enclosed within a shell 31 of bell form having its upper end constricted and secured to the body 10 and having its lower end formed with or secured to a rim 32 which curves upwardly and inwardly and which hasits center open. The rinris reinforced with respect tothe shell by means of inclined braces 33.; j a

Mounted within the shell opposite the pole pieces; or armatures'29 on the jaws are electromagnets 34 .wlnch; are COIlIlGCtGdlll.

parallel with a'suitable. source of current 35,"a control switch 36 being interposediin the circuit andbeing located of course within reach of the operator within the cranetower In the operation of the device it will be seen that the springs 30 normally operate to hold the jaws together so that when the crane is operated to bring the device over the load and the device issubsequentlylowered by whatever means is provided, the jaWs Wlll pass down outwardly of the head 27 wh'ichis carried by the load. As the inner edges of the hooks 25 are rounded as shown it is apparent that when they engage and slide alon the head 27 the jaws will move outwar ly against the resistance 'of the spring.

30 until the shoulders of the jaws can snap into engagement-with the shoulder 26. The load may then be lifted and "carried to any desired point with absolute safety. In order to effect release of theload it is merely 1iec essary that the operator throw the switch 36 toclose the circuit whereupon the energization of the electromagnets 34 will cause attraction of the jaws and pull them out'of engagement with the shoulder 26 on the lifting head 27. v

A very important feature is the provision of the upwardly and inwardly curved'flange 32 which o erates to guide the head 27 to the center of the hook device even though the craneman be inexperienced or careless. The tapered socket 2,0 and the'centering pin and hole 27 and 20 also operate in the same way so that the parts will be properly centered. i

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings-it will be apparentthat I have thus provided a simply constructed and consequently inexpensive crane 'hook in which the gripping action is autoj matic and in which the release is eflected from a remote point by electromagnetic means, the device thus operating as a'safety appliance and reducin the risk of injury to workmen employed in andlin'g the apparatus. Owing to the 'simplicityof the construction and the fewness of the parts it is apparent that thereis nothing to get out of order and that the device should consequently have a long life and satisfactorily right to make such changes in the form, conclaim struction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from thespir'it of the invention} body and terminating in hooks enga'geable With an annular shoulder on a lifting head,

springs urging saidjaws into clamping rela-' tion, and a series of electromagnets pos1- with a supporting element, a plurality of depending jaws pivoted upon the body andterminating in hooks engageable with an annular shoulder on a lifting head, springs urging said'jaws into clamping relation, and a series of electromagnets positioned in spaced relation to the jaws and energizable to effect retraction thereof'into releasing position, and an enclosing shell secured to the body and surrounding said parts and forming a support for the electromagnets.

A device of the character described comprising a body formed with a swivel head and including a plurality of bifurcated radial arms, depending jaws pivoted within said-bifurcations and terminating in hooks, said jaws being formed with pole pieces, springs. carried by the body and engaging said jaws for urging them toward each other,

and a plurality of electromagnets located opposite said pole pieces for effecting move comprising'a body formed with a swivelhead and including a plurality of bifurcated radial arms, depending jaws pivoted within said bifurcationsiand terminating in hooks, said jaws being formed with pole pieces, springs carried by the body and engaging said jaws for urging them toward each other, and a "pluralityof electromagnets located 0pposite said pole pieces for eifectingmove- 1119I1h0f the jaws outwardly, a depending stemr formed on the body'and terminating in.

a conical portion having a tapered socket therein. v i I '5. A cranehook comprising a support,-a plurality of pivoted jaws depending from said support and terminating in hooks, and electromagnets carried by the support and energizable to effect outward. movement of thejaws, in combination with a lifting head having a shoulder engageable by'said hooks.

'6. A crane hookcomprisinga support, a plurality of pivoted jaws depending from said support and terminating in hooks, and electromagnets carried by the support and energiz ableto effect outward movement of the jaws, in combination with a lifting head having a shoulder engageable by said hooks, said lifting head being tapered whereby to move the :jaws outwardly when engaged thereby andbeing formed: with a retaining shoulder. I

7. A crane hook'comprising a support, a plurality ofpivoted jawsndepending from said support and terminating in hooks, and electromagnets carried by the support and energizable to'effect outward movement of the jaws, in combination with a lifting head having a shoulder engageable by said hooks,

and means carried by the support and engage ab1e with the lifting head whereby-t0 7 center the body with respect thereto.

8. A crane hook comprising a support," a

plurality of pivoted jaws depending from having a shoulder engageable by said hooks, io

and means carried bythe support and engageable with the lifting "head whereby to center the body with respect thereto, the centering means consisting of a depending socket of tapered formation and the head be- 15:

ing tapered to be received within the socket. In testimony whereof I aflix my'signature.

WALTER'R. BLOSS 

